Woodson's dismissal – with a year left on his contract and along with his entire coaching staff – comes after a season in which the Knicks finished 37-45 and missed out on the NBA playoffs. Woodson's final game in charge produced a victory, 95-92 over the playoff-bound Toronto Raptors last Wednesday.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike Woodson and his entire staff," Jackson said. "The coaches and players on this team had an extremely difficult 2013-14 season, and blame should not be put on one individual.

“But the time has come for change throughout the franchise as we start the journey to assess and build this team for next season and beyond.

"Everyone in this franchise owes a great deal of gratitude to what Mike and his staff have done. We wish him the best."

Woodson became Knicks coach in 2011, stepping up from an assistant role after the resignation of Mike d'Antoni. In 2012-13 he took the team to 54 wins, a first divisional title since 1994 and a playoff series win. He also oversaw a late-season recovery this year, though it was not enough to reach the playoffs.

Jackson, who was a Knicks player the last time the franchise won the NBA championship, in 1973, won 11 titles as a coach – six with the Chicago Bulls and five with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has said he will not return to coaching.

Since Jackson's return to the Knicks one of his former players, the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs point guard Steve Kerr, has been linked with the head coach job, despite never having held a coaching position.

Woodson, 56, began his playing career as a first-round draft pick with the Knicks and also played for the New Jersey Nets, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers.

He has held assistant-coach posts with the Cavaliers, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers; from 2004 to 2010 he was head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

Woodson's Knicks head-coaching record was 109-79; his career head-coaching record is 315-365.

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